Trattoria Cooking: Squash Frittata

I greatly enjoy frittatas. I grew up eating Spanish tortilla filled with potatoes. While tortilla is one of the classic tapas dishes, it is one of those dishes that is not as easy to make as it appears. The abundance of egg and the weight of the potatoes make a tortilla difficult to flip. I have personally dropped a half made tortilla into a sink. It's safer to finish a Spanish tortilla in the oven...

Frittatas require half the eggs and thus are not nearly as liquidy as a Spanish tortilla. Also the traditional use of pasta which allows a frittata to keep its shape better. This frittata is easily the best I have had. The squash is crisp and the egg acts only as a glue and does not take away from the cheese or squash flavor.

Summer Squash Frittata (adapted from Trattoria Cooking)

2 summer squash, cut into thin half moons
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
a small handful of grated mozzarella cheese (0ptional)
3 eggs, beaten
olive oil, salt, pepper

1. Saute the squash slices and minced garlic for 5-6 minutes until barely soft.
2. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl with salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese. Add the squash to the eggs and combine until the squash is coated.
3. Pour the mixture into a small pan with a tablespoon of warm olive oil. Cook the frittata over medium heat for 5 minutes maximum. Use a spatula to check for browning on the sides.
4. Loosen the frittata with the spatula and slide onto a plate. Use the plate to flip the frittata into the pan to cook the opposite side. Cook for 3 minutes, less time than the first side.
5. Loosen from the pan again and slide back onto the plate.

Disclaimer: While this dish came together in less than 20 minutes, I had to use two pans for the whole operation. I used a medium sized skillet to cook the squash evenly, and I used a small skillet to cook the actual frittata. That way the frittata came out thicker and the size was perfect for a two person dinner and lunch leftovers.